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. TGASKINS. GAR COUPLIVNGf 1 1w 382,502. Patented May8,-.1888.

4. WITNM f INVBNTOR:

N. PETERS. Pollhhoghlpllr, washington, ILC.

UNITI-3D VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS GASKINS, OF AROADIA, FLORIDA.

cAR-couPL-ING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 382,602, dated May 8, 1888.

Application filed September 28, 1887. Serial No. 250.957. (No model.) l

To all whom it may concern.: y

Be it known that I, THOMAS GAsKINs, of Arcadia, in the county of De Soto and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and strong device for automatically coupling cars, and which may be easily and cheaply applied to the bumpers already in use without material alteration of or injury to the saine.v

To this end it consists in the peculiar construction' and arrangement of parts, which I will now'proceed to describe with reference to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of one draw-head and a side'view of the other, showing them in coupled position. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the draw-heads coupled. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the uncoupling devices. Fig. 4 shows the coupling of cars of different heights, and Fig. 5 shows the lsimplest form of the invention.

As both draw-heads are constructed and operated exactly alike, it will only be necessary to describe one. It is constructed of a heavy metal plate, A, having upturned ears a a on the side, which form bearings or points of attachmentfor the heavy and strong horizontal bolt B, which has a head upon one side and a nut upon the other, whereby it is secured in said ears.

Gis one of the coupling-hooks, which is hung upon the bolt Bso as to swing freely in avertical plane. These hooks .have an upward projection, c, (with holes in them,)by means of which they may be raised either by hand or through a cord, chain, or link-rod iu uncoupling, as hereinafter described. These hooks project over the frame-plate A upon araised ledge, g, at the outer end ofthe frame-plate, so that their forward and beveled ends are in a position to ride up over the bolts B and automatically couple therewith when the cars come together.

D D are sleeves or collars, which encircle the bolts B on each side of the coupling-hooks and serve to hold them in proper position. The

collars are so placed as to allow the hooks to slip from the center to half the thickness ofthe hook on one side, thereby allowing the hooks to couple in the center.

In order to apply the coupling to the bumpers of the cars already in use, the frame-plate A is constructed as an, attachment thereto, as follows:

In the middle of the frame-plate is formed an elongated hole or slot, b, and through this there passes a flat-headed bolt, d, which llatter passes through the coupling-pin hole of the car-bumper and is secured by astrong nut, d', on the under side of the bumper. in making the hole b elongated is to adapt the frame-plate to bumpers that have the pin-hole at different distances from the front end. At the back end of the frame-plate, on its upper side, isa Vraised edge, e, which is notched or cut away at the sides 'at e e to receive a U- shaped strap, E, of iron or steel, whose ends extend on each side of the bumper and are screw-threaded to receive nuts fand `a cross bar or plate, by which the frame-plate A is clamped to the bumper. I This strap and the bolt which passes through the pin-hole serve to strongly connect the automatic coupler at- The object. i

tachment to the bumper in such a way as to f permit it to be readily removed and replaced.l

For uncoupling the hooks C a link-rod, F, is attached loosely to each of them and connects with a rigid arm, G', projecting from a rock-shaft, G. (See Fig. 3.) This rock-shaft is arranged in bearings at the end of the car and extends horizontally from one side of the car to the other and terminates in handles. By seizing these handles and rocking the shaft G the coupling-hooks are raised from their bolts B. To hold the hooks C in ele-v vated position a lug, Z, is formed on the rockshaft, and just beside it is an encompassingkeeper, H, which has several inwardly-opening notches. Now, when the shaftG is rocked to raise the hook, the said shaft Gis slid 1ongitudinally until its lug enters one of the notches in the keeper H, which holds it in this position. p f

My coupling is not only adapted to coupling cars of the same height, but can equally .as well couple cars of different heights, as shown in Fig. 4. The hooks C may in new cars be mounted directly in the draw-head, as inFig. 5, instead of a detachable plate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. A car-coupling consisting of hooks C C,

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having their front faces curved upwardly and pivoted to work vertically, combined with horizontal bolts B B, a shoulder of support in front of the bolts for holding the hooks up, and suitable draw-heads, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination,with the coupling-hookv C, of the link-arm F, `horizontally-sliding rock-shaft G, with rigid arm G and lug Z, and the internally-notched keeper H, substau tially as and for the purpose described.

3. A frame-plate attachmentfor car-bump-4 ers having automatic car-coupling devices thereon and provided with an opening in the middle registering with the pinhole of the bumper, in combination with a bolt going through said registering holes, and a U -shaped strap-iron passing around both the carbumper and the coupling attachment, substantially as shown and described.

4. The frame-plate A, having a central hole, 

